Redemption
by staryllia
Summary: ROTS: Padmé found Obi-Wan on her ship. This is an "Anakin goes Darth Vader then redeems himself story." Will have Luke, Leia, Han, Chewie, Yoda, other Jedi, Ewoks, Padmé's family, etc. as well as DeathStar, Coruscant, Tattooine, Dagobah.
1. Mustafar

**Disclaimer: I do not own, and am not affiliated with George Lucas's Star Wars in any way shape of form. I wasn't even born when they made the movies. **

_This story begins in Padmé's ship as she approaches Mustafar, in the prequel series. Anakin has turned to Darth Vader and the Dark side; he's killed some Jedi and younglings, but most are still alive and evacuated – Mace is still alive as well._

Chapter One:

_Mustafar_:

A lone spaceship glided over red hot lava, as it oozed out of cracks in the glossy black ground. It traveled quickly through the sky, toward a clustered group of buildings. Aboard the spaceship was a woman, a man in hiding, and two droids.

Padmé watched anxiously out of the windshield, her mind and emotions in turmoil. Her long brown hair hung lank and mussed down her back, draping her arms as she gripped the armrests of the seat, her muscles tensed. She didn't know what to feel.

She was nervous, yes. She was frightened. She also felt slightly sick. And above all…she felt broken.

She didn't want to believe what Obi-Wan had told her about Anakin. Tears had been running down his cheeks unchecked as he struggled to tell her what Anakin had supposedly done. That he had killed Jedi Masters, that he had slaughtered younglings, and was supporting that worm Chancellor Palpatine as he built an Empire. But what she didn't want to believe the most was that he had turned to the Dark side. He couldn't have…Anakin couldn't have done something like that.

Her Ani was a Jedi Knight. How could he have done all those horrific things? And _why_?

Her eyes fixed on the buildings as Artoo guided the ship toward the landing dock. Obi-Wan had said Anakin would be on Mustafar – killing the Separatist leaders. She had come here to look for him.

The ship touched down with a jolt, and Padmé undid her seat harness. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, steeling herself for the truth. She didn't want to believe Obi-Wan, but a part of her, deep inside, knew that it was true. But she had to let Anakin at least try to explain. Maybe it was all a misunderstanding.

She stood up slowly, due to her round pregnant stomach. Artoo gave a long plaintive beep.

She looked at her faithful droid. "Artoo, I'll be right back, okay?"

He just whirled his dome around. She swallowed, knowing he was worried.

"I'll be fine." She didn't know who she was trying to convince – him or her?

She crossed to a compartment that had weapons in it, and palmed it open. She reached in and withdrew a blaster, and strapped it to her back. Then as she was about to open the shuttle doors and let the ramp down, she heard a voice.

"Wait, Padmé!"

What the Sith? She whirled around as fast as her skirts and stomach would allow, already taking the blaster off her back. Her heart started thudding rapidly.

Obi-Wan was standing there, looking extremely tired and then startled to see her pointing a blaster at his chest, never mind that said blaster was set on stun. She noticed that he had bloodstains on his simple light brown Jedi tunic, and his light saber was strapped to his belt.

She let out her breath in a whoosh and lowered the blaster. She suddenly felt an inexplicable burst of anger course through her body.

"_Obi-Wan_? What are you doing stowing away on my ship?"

He cast his eyes downward, probably feeling guilty. "I knew you would take me to where Anakin was."

She nearly spluttered with rage, and hissed at him. "So what? You could find him and kill him?"

Obi-Wan's eyes turned hard. "You don't understand, Padmé! He's changed. He's not the same person you knew. He's not the same person I knew!"

She felt denial in her heart, and though she knew she was being illogical, she shook her head. "No -"

Obi-Wan shook his head as well. "Do you know what he's done, Padmé? I've told you. He's turned to the Dark side – he even has a Sith name! It's Darth Vader. You don't understand. He is dangerous, volatile. He is killing the Separatists on Palpatine's, or should I say, Darth Sidious's, orders, as we speak! He's changed, he's not Anakin anymore!"

Padmé locked eyes with Obi-Wan, and nearly recoiled as she read the hurt and pain in them. She realized he was telling the truth. She had to believe him. Force knew she didn't want to, but she had to.

Her Ani had turned to the Dark side. She felt something shatter inside her as she stood frozen.

She gulped, and stumbled against the bulkhead, dropping the blaster in the process. Tears filled her eyes, and she started sobbing. "Oh Force, Obi-Wan, please, I don't want to believe this, he's my husband and I love him and how could he-"she broke off, and fell to her knees, her hands over her face.

Obi-Wan felt his own eyes tear up as he watched the Senator break down. He crossed to her, and knelt, taking her hands with his. "I don't, either, but if we ignore the truth, bad things will happen."

"What should we do?" she whispered through her tears.

He looked uncomfortable at that. "You take the ship and go, I'll stay here and confront Anakin."

Padmé shook her head violently. "No, I'm coming with you. He might listen to me. Please, Obi-Wan, he might turn back if I talk to him!"

He sighed. He knew there would be no dissuading her. "Very well," he said reluctantly. "But if he turns on us, you have to get out of here – understood?"

She swallowed, praying that it wouldn't happen and that Anakin would listen to reason. "Alright."

"Good." He stood up and helped her up, and handed her the blaster she'd dropped. "Come on."

He jettisoned the ramp, and offered her his arm, which she gratefully took. They exited cautiously, Obi-Wan with his light saber drawn but not turned on, Padmé clutching the blaster.

The grey buildings in front of them were silent. There was no activity going on, and plumes of smoke rose all around them, silent and ominous. Erupting volcanoes echoed in the distance, and a red glow filled the atmosphere.

Although it was hot and humid, Padmé gave an apprehensive shudder. Obi-Wan felt her and raised his eyebrows. "Not enjoying this?"

She chuckled weakly at his lame attempt at humor, her face tight from her tears.

When they reached the bottom of the ramp, she gently disengaged from him, and hiked up her dress. Soot encrusted the ground and she wrinkled her nose in distaste.

Obi-Wan was surveying the area, and then suddenly pointed to one of the silent buildings. "Look!"

She looked. It was a pair of guards, decapitated and slashed through the torso. Obi-Wan sprinted towards the bodies, his light saber on and humming.

She nearly lost her lunch, but forced herself to hurry as fast as she could to Obi-Wan's side as he looked over the corpses.

He looked up at her apprehensively. "They were killed by light saber, Padmé" he announced gravely and unnecessarily. She knew what light sabers were capable of.

He peered past the doors into the dark abyss of the entryway, and ignited his light saber. Padmé jumped, and tore her transfixed gaze away from the throats of the guards.

Obi-Wan motioned for her to stay, and strode quietly into the building, led by the light of his glowing light saber. A couple minutes later he exited, shaking hi s head.

Padmé looked at him nervously, willing him to say something other than "they're dead."

He looked at her with a sad look on his face, mingled with sick. "They're dead, Padmé – every last one of them. Anakin was on the security holos. He did it, he was here."

Padmé's head spun as she tried to comprehend what Obi-Wan was saying. She grabbed his shoulder to steady herself, closing her eyes in anguish. How could Anakin kill so many? How could he do this?

Suddenly Obi-Wan stiffened. "Oh, holy Force…."

She snapped her eyes open to see him staring shocked, his gaze transfixed on something behind her. She turned slowly, knowing what. Anakin.

Her breath caught in her throat. Her beloved husband was about 100 yards away, next to a small ship. It was obviously the one he'd come here in. He was checking the underbelly, and was wearing an all black ensemble with a cape and a hood, stained with patches of something crusty and brown. She could see a light saber on his belt, and she knew it was a red one – Obi-Wan had found Anakin's at the Jedi Temple.

Without thinking, without planning, she broke away from a horrified Obi-Wan and started to run as fast as she could towards Anakin, holding up her dress with one hand, the blaster in the other. Her boots thudded as she ran, soot blowing up in her wake. "Anakin!" she called desperately.

She didn't know what to believe. Logically she knew that Anakin had done it but she desperately wanted to hear Anakin say that he hadn't, or that he was sorry, or something. She didn't know anymore.

He stopped what he was doing, and straightened up, looking at her. In her haste to get to him she did not notice the Sith yellow of his eyes, or the emptiness inside.

He rushed towards her as well, and when they reached each other she hugged him as tightly as she could, eyes shut. Slowly she then stepped back, her hands on his forearms. She looked him in the eyes and gasped for two reasons: she was out of breath and afraid.

"I was so worried about you! Obi-Wan...he told me terrible things."

She felt Anakin stiffen. "What things?" His eyes had shifted to an unreadable expression.

"He said... you turned to the Dark Side. That you killed younglings. Please, Ani, tell me you didn't…"

Anakin smirked. Padmé felt sick – this expression didn't belong on her Ani's face. "Obi-Wan is trying to turn you against me."

"Anakin - he cares about us."

"Us?"

She sighed resignedly. "He knows; I had to tell him. He wants to help you."

He said nothing, and she tried again. "Anakin, all I want is your love!"

"Love won't save you, Padmé! Only my new powers can do that!"

Padmé stilled. "So it's true? How is that power, Anakin? How can killing defenseless children give you power? I'm pregnant, Anakin! We are going to have a child – a child who could have been a Jedi like you! Those younglings you killed were someone's children! How would you feel if someone tried to kill our child? _As a father, how could you do this_?" she cried.

Anakin grew angry, and he replied just as fiercely, "I won't lose you the way I lost my mother! I am becoming more powerful than any Jedi has ever dreamed of, and I'm doing it for you: to protect you!"

Tears filled Padmé's eyes again, unnoticed. She pleaded with him. "Come away with me, Ani...help me raise our child; leave everything else behind while we still can!"

He shook his head angrily, and gazed into her eyes and implored her to understand him. "Don't you see? We don't have to run away anymore! I am more powerful than the Chancellor, I could overthrow him! And together, you and I can rule the galaxy! Make things the way we want them to be!"

And then he smiled at her, a smile that made Padmé go so cold, she could've sworn she was on Hoth instead of this fiery hot planet.

"I don't believe what I'm hearing; Obi-Wan was right about you. You've changed!"

Anakin grew angrier. Why wouldn't she listen to him? "I don't want to hear any more about Obi-Wan. The Jedi turned against me, Padmé!"

Padmé started crying in earnest. "The Jedi never betrayed you – what did they do? _Nothing_! Anakin, you're breaking my heart! And you're going down a path I cannot follow!"

Anakin's eyes grew harder. "Because of Obi-Wan?"

"Because of what you've done...what you plan to do! Stop! Stop now; come back... I love you! You want to rule the galaxy, I don't. I'm a Senator, Anakin – democracy is what I've stood up for all my life! The Republic is what I believe in! And if you do this, I am lost to you -"

Anakin suddenly noticed Obi-Wan standing a ways behind her, holding his light saber limply in his hand.

He hissed in hate, "Obi-Wan…"

He glared at Padmé. She had brought him here on purpose. "How could you, Padmé?"

She glared back at him defiantly, a blazing look in her eyes. "I didn't, he snuck onto my ship. And now I'm glad I did – maybe he can talk some sense into you!"

Anakin pushed her away from him roughly. He lifted his hand and pointed at her, glaring, and roared, "You betrayed me, Padmé!"

She screamed back at him with equal fervor, backing away, "How did I betray you, Anakin? How? I never have – I've always loved you! If anyone has been betrayed, it's me! It's the Jedi! It's the people of the Republic! It's the _innocent_!"

"Stop lying to me, Padmé! I did it all for you, so you could live, so our children could live peacefully!"

Her hand flashed out and struck him across the face. Anakin stopped gesticulating and stared at her in dumbfounded shock. Padmé was surprised at herself. She'd never hit him.

She spoke in a lower voice, seething. "I can't believe you. If you're going to go down this path, I'm not going to follow you. I swear to the Force I will leave you. I don't want this for me – the lives of the many for me, one person? No! Haven't you learned that there is no death – there is only the Force? Why don't you have more faith in the good, Anakin? Why don't you have more faith in _me_? Because if I were you, I would never do what you've done – I would not put others lives on the lines even if it meant saving you. Maybe my own life, but never anyone else's…"

He stared at her in hate. She knew she had hurt him, but she was telling the truth. Their eyes met; hers blazed with defiance, sadness, and hurt. His were the only emotions the Sith knew: anger.

He lifted his hand towards her throat, and Padmé suddenly felt her throat close up. She struggled to take a breath but couldn't. It felt like she was being strangled from the inside out…

She heard Obi-Wan yell "Let her go, Anakin!" but Anakin didn't heed him. Obi-Wan's footsteps grew louder behind her.

"Anakin…stop…" she choked out, reaching her hand towards him.

He did nothing but continue to Force choke her, and then Obi-Wan was suddenly there. He slashed at Anakin with his light saber. Anakin suddenly let her go, and Padmé collapsed onto the ground, nearly unconscious. The blaster clattered to the ground next to her.

The hum and clash of light sabers reached her ears and she looked up to see Anakin and Obo-Wan fighting and shouting at each other. She couldn't make out the words; her head was throbbing too much. Padmé painfully got up on her knees, took the blaster, and aimed it at Anakin. She followed Obi-Wan and Anakin's dancing forms around till she was sure she had a shot, and then finally took it. It hit Anakin and he hit the ground like a sack of Corellian tubers, unconscious. His red light saber fell to the ground, and switched off immediately.

Obi-Wan deactivated his own saber and reattached it to his belt. He strode quickly toward Padmé and helped her up, and she winced. She could tell her neck was going to be bruised later on.

Tears were running down her cheeks again. She looked at the love of her life lying motionless on the ground and back at Obi-Wan. Obi-Wan was gazing at Anakin's form as well, and the pain and grief in his eyes were nearly more than hers. She swallowed dryly.

Obi-Wan knelt down next to Anakin and checked for a pulse. "He's alive, Padmé."

Padmé smiled weakly. "I did use stun, you know."

Obi-Wan straightened Anakin's body out, and then put the red light saber on his chest. He got up and stood near Padmé. "Anakin…you were my brother, my son, my friend...you were the Chosen One…" he murmured.

For a couple minutes they stood there in silence, gazing upon the one they had loved.

He turned to Padmé. "Shall we leave?" he asked her quietly.

She swallowed again. The words she was about to utter were about the hardest she'd ever had to say, but she got them out before her throat closed up on her. "I think we should; he's not going to listen to us now."

He nodded, and took her arm. Together they started walking towards the ship, Padmé half staggering, Obi-Wan with defeat written in his shoulders.

There was nothing left to say. Not anymore.


	2. Polis Massa

**Disclaimer: I do not own, and am not affiliated with George Lucas's Star Wars in any way shape or form.**

AN: This won't be an Obidala fic, sorry! Eventually (much later) Anakin and Padmé get back together.

Chapter Two:

_On Padmé's ship:_

Obi-Wan sank into the pilot's seat exhaustedly. The fight with Anakin had taken both an emotional and physical toll on him.

He piloted the cruiser up over Mustafar, and neither he nor Padmé looked back at the red and black ground beneath them. Soon they were out in the atmosphere, flying to a temporary Jedi hideout on Yavin Four.

Artoo whirred at Padmé, concerned, as he helped Obi-Wan pilot the ship up. She smiled at her droid weakly. "I'll be fine, Artoo…thanks."

She was half-sitting, half-lying, in a seat behind the copilot's seat. C-3PO had given her a canteen of water and some rags, and she was cleaning up her face and hands. Her knees hurt, her stomach hurt, her throat hurt. Her heart hurt.

She shut the canteen and set it down gently on a seat. Just as precisely, she slowly reclined into her seat, folding her hands over her belly, and contemplated the countless buttons and levers. She shut her eyes and saw Anakin. She shook her head and opened her eyes and saw the back of Obi-Wan's head.

Tears filled up her eyes again, but she willed them not to fall. She smiled bitterly and then glared at the seat in front of her. _Everything was so wrong._

She punched the headrest in front of her viciously, and then felt sorry as pain coursed up her arm from her knuckles. It wasn't soft.

Obi-Wan turned slightly at the sound, and regarded her with worried eyes. She felt wretched. None of this was his fault.

It was her fault.

An evil little voice, high pitched and nasal, spoke in her head.

_If you hadn't married him…he never would've broken the code and disappointed his master._

She pushed that thought away disgustedly.

_If he hadn't thought you were going to die, he wouldn't have done these despicable acts._

She snarled mentally. _He had a choice_, damn_ it!_

Her mental conversation broke off as Obi-Wan stared at her in confusion. Her angry expression must've been showing on her face, and she was still looking at him. She felt sorry; she wasn't angry at him anymore. He had done what was right. She offered him a reassuring smile and he smiled uneasily back, still confused.

"Padmé, do you want to go lie down?"

She licked her chapped lips and tasted salt and iron, and nodded. She might as well; there was nothing for her to do here.

She stood up shakily and that movement set off something that burst…down there. She looked at the floor in shock to find it covered in a fluid, dripping down her thighs.

Obi-Wan furrowed his eyebrows as he looked at the floor beneath her booted feet. "What…" he began helplessly; "…is that?"

Padmé felt her heart start beating faster and she breathed deeply as she sat back down. It was time. But how? It was a little early. A tremor racked her body. "I'm in labor, Obi-Wan! Do something!" she snapped at him.

He spun around to the controls, suddenly frazzled, and started giving instructions to both Artoo and C-3P0. "Artoo, set the coordinates to the nearest planet with a medical facility…Threepio, do something!"

_Polis Massa_:

Padmé lay on the stark white hospital bed, exhausted, sweaty, as a medidroid coached her through breathing.

Obi-Wan had been very flustered and worried, having never handled a woman in labor before. When they had gotten to the medical facility, a droid had innocently asked if he was the father, and whether he would like some medication to calm himself down. He had spluttered and turned so red, she'd laughed at him despite her pain. He was cowering at the side of the room now, looking extremely uncomfortable and trying to keep calm, and was cradling his left hand tenderly; he'd made the mistake of letting her hold it during a contraction.

A wave of pain hit her, and she gasped involuntarily, and shut her eyes tightly, as if it would stop the pain. The droid counted encouragingly, but she despised it at that moment. She opened her eyes and wished she could get up and take its annoying head off.

She wanted the pain to stop, she wanted everything to stop…she wanted –

_Anakin_.

Everything was so wrong.

She didn't feel like she could do this. But her babies – she had to give them life…

She gasped out, "Obi-Wan…get over here, you coward!"

He walked toward her reluctantly, taking care to keep his hands out of her reach. When he was by the bed she reached out and grasped the front of his tunic and brought his head down next to hers. "Obi-Wan…if anything happens to me, you have to take care of them for me…"

She broke off the sentence, gasping, as another contraction hit her.

He looked horrified as what she'd said struck him. "You're not going to die! You're going to be fine, Padmé. You're strong, you can do this!"

He reached out and without thinking of his hand's health, took hers in a gesture of comfort. Just as he did, the medidroid called to her, "Milady, you're fully dilated now – on the count of 3, push!"

Obi-Wan tried to draw his hand back, anticipating pain, and he wasn't disappointed, because she had it in a crushing grip and wouldn't let go. She screamed, and he groaned in sympathetic pain along with her, though for a different reason.

Padmé drew in quick, raspy breaths. She closed her eyes, tired. She couldn't believe that here she was, giving birth, so far away from the place she'd planned to. She couldn't believe that she was holding Obi-Wan's hand, when it should be Anakin's hand she should be crushing.

"Push!"

The thought of her wayward husband made a few tears fall from her cheeks unchecked. Coupled with the pain and the memories, it was almost more than she could bear. She wanted to let go. She wanted to die.

_How could you, love? I wasn't going to die in childbirth, Anakin. I promised you. This is because of you…what you did._

"Anakin!" she screamed, "_Why aren't you here_!"

_Coruscant_:

Thousands of miles away, a man awoke with a start.

He was confused. He was lying on something unyielding and cold.

A woman was in pain. She was screaming at him. Why, he had no idea.

_This is because of you…what you did –_

For reasons he couldn't fathom, shame washed over him.

_I loved you, Anakin –_

Who loved him?

_How could you, love?_

What had he done to warrant such sorrow, such pain?

And the loudest of all rang in his ears over and over. _Why aren't you here?_!

Where was he? Should he be somewhere?

He was a Jedi, had to help the woman –

He opened his eyes. His blue eyes stared uncomprehendingly at the white ceiling. His head hurt, and so did his side. The gentle whir of machines met his ears, the sharp scent of bacta crept up into his nose. Confused, he stretched out with the Force, and felt the presence of his master.

Not Obi-Wan. Palpatine…Darth Sidious

Everything came back to him. Padmé, Obi-Wan, the Temple, the Council, Mustafar –

He sat up quickly on the metal stretcher, but was immediately pushed back down by a medidroid.

"You must stay lying down, you have a head injury."

Vader batted it away with his mechanical hand, annoyed. Pesky droid. What was he doing here anyway?

Darth Sidious snaked into the room ominously, and Vader's stomach dropped somewhere around his feet. Almost before he had even cleared the threshold, Vader was struggling off the stretcher, gazing at him desperately. He needed answers.

"Master, do you know where Padmé is? Is she alright?"

Sidious looked at him in (fake) regret. "It seems that in your anger…you killed her."

Darth Vader stared at him in disbelief. "No, no, no…she's alive, I felt it!" he whispered to himself. "NO!" he screamed in anguish, as he started to tear out his own hair and the droids and Sidious attempted to restrain him before he harmed himself even more.

_Polis Massa_:

Several pain-filled minutes later, the droid announced in its mechanical voice, "It's a boy."

Padmé was clinging to the last vestiges of her strength. "Luke…"

And a couple more minutes later, "It's a girl."

Padmé gasped out the girl's name. "Leia…"

"You did it, Padmé!" Obi-Wan said half heartedly, because he felt like something bad was going to happen very soon.

Then it happened.

She dropped unconscious, and Obi-Wan stared at the monitors in horror. Her heart rate was slowing, brain activity dropping…

"We're losing her!" a droid uttered in panic, as panicked as a droid could be.

A flurry of activity started around Obi-Wan and he was pushed backwards into his corner. He stood there helplessly, frozen, gazing at the dying body of Anakin's love.

He looked blankly at the bassinet, in which the infants lay, and felt a premonition of himself in the future changing diapers, feeding them, dealing with their temper tantrums, chasing them as they attempted to catch "green little Master Yoda," and other such escapades. Oh no…he needed Padmé, the _children_ needed Padmé!

He jogged back to the bed and shoved a medidroid out of the way. Gently, he slapped her cheeks, and receiving no response, started shaking her shoulders. Her eyes shot open and he nearly recoiled at the pain he saw in them. She actually wanted to die. She didn't have a will to live anymore.

"Padmé, please, please don't do this…"

"No, Padmé," he said forcefully. Then he mentally prayed, _please forgive me for what I must say next_. He added crushingly, "What kind of mother are you? Why are you leaving Luke and Leia behind? What will they do if Anakin finds them? You have to protect them!"

Her eyes widened when he mentioned her children, and something changed.

_Luke and Leia_. Her babies. They needed her!

She struggled to sit up, and a droid announced, astonished, "She's not dying anymore."

They both laughed shakily at the droid's need to state the obvious, and then Obi-Wan carried the infants to her one by one, very gently, as if they were made up of precious crystals. They were both swaddled in soft blue blankets and cleaned off; no blood or body fluids were on them as she received them with a sad, yet happy smile. Luke was asleep, but Leia was awake and fussing.

She gazed at them with widened eyes. These precious little bundles were hers. She had given them life. She had carried them around for 9 months. Cradling them gently, she nuzzled their soft heads every now and then. She marveled at the impossibly soft, silky skin beneath her lips.

She handed Leia to Obi-Wan wordlessly, and turned her attention to Luke to study him more closely. He had almost no hair; it was basically peachy fuzz. His eyes were closed but she knew that they were a beautiful clear blue. She ran her fingers over his ten tiny ones in wonder. He was so perfect.

They both were. And as she sat there with her children, she realized that they were infinitely precious, and she'd go to hell and back for them.

She traded Luke with Leia, and gazed at her brown eyes, just like her own. Her hair was a little longer than Luke's, and darker as well. She knew it was going to be the same rich brown as her own when she was older. Leia opened her toothless mouth and gurgled at her innocently. That simple gesture went right to Padmé's heart, and tears slid down her flushed cheeks. But this time they were tears of love and happiness.

She couldn't believe that she had ever wanted to die, and leave her children alone. She couldn't do that now that she knew them. And she never would. Not to her babies.

Obi-Wan looked surprised at how small the infants were. He had never spent much time with the younglings in the Temple, and so had no idea how to treat them. He cleared his throat uneasily, hoping she would take Luke back. He had no such luck. Padmé looked up, her dark hair falling into her eyes. She smiled at him, a smile that met her eyes for the first time in what seemed like another life.

"Thank you, Obi-Wan."

He looked baffled. "For what?"

"For not letting go, and for saying those mean things."

He looked apologetic. "Sorry, it was the only way I could think of to get you to…you know."

He sat down on the bed at her feet, still holding a sleeping baby Luke in his arms. Almost unintentionally he gazed into the tiny face, and reaching out with the Force, felt for his presence. Luke was strong. So was Leia; they both Force sensitive. It was definitely due to Anakin's genes. He had the highest midi-chlorian count of any Jedi, and that led to Qui-Gon believing he was the Chosen One. Obi-Wan didn't know anymore. If Anakin had been the Chosen One, he would've destroyed the Sith. Not joined them.

He shut his eyes wearily. Tiredness was catching up with him. His head ached at the temples and forehead, and he desperately needed to bathe and wash away the blood and sweat. Not to mention he desperately needed to use a refresher quite badly.

He tried not to think of Anakin, but the more he tried not to, the more he did. He gave up and just let the thoughts of his former Padawan circulate in his mind. Tatooine. Coruscant. _Mustafar_.

All the things they had once done together, laughing, seemed so far away.

He looked at Padmé. She still had Leia in her arms, but she was looking at the wall blankly. A fight was going on in her eyes, as if she were arguing with herself. He couldn't imagine how Padmé was feeling. Her husband had turned against the very thing she and he had stood up for their entire lives, and he'd tried to kill her. Things like that normally affected people badly. He felt bad for her. He felt bad enough for everyone.

Pain still stabbed his heart. He had felt it when Anakin had started his rampage in the Temple and again when he'd killed the Separatist leaders. He couldn't let it go. He didn't know what to do, or how to feel. A Jedi should not feel betrayed. A Jedi must not be angry over betrayal. He couldn't afford to be angry, and he couldn't feel too sad about all those who had died. They were one with the Force now.

He bitterly wished he was with the Force.

Just as he closed his eyes again, the doors to Padmé's cubicles whooshed open and Obi-Wan immediately opened his eyes, hand already reaching for the light saber at his belt. But he needn't have; it was Bail Organa and Yoda.

At the sight of Padmé's friend and fellow Senator and the esteemed, powerful Jedi Master his eyes started to tear. He made no move to stand, and only gazed at Yoda. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Bail rush to Padmé and embrace her, and coo over the Leia. But his attention was on Yoda. He looked so torn, so resigned; so old, leaning on his walking stick. For the first time Obi-Wan had known him, he looked frail.

Yoda hobbled slowly over to the bed and jumped up with grace that no one ever thought he would possess, being so old. Gently, he alighted next to Obi-Wan, then turned around and dropped with a poof to the bed. He sat down next to Obi-Wan, though his feet came nowhere near the floor where Obi-Wan's feet rested. He looked at Luke in his blue cocoon with an indiscernible expression, his brows furrowed. Obi-Wan looked down to see what had Yoda captivated, then looked to Yoda for an explanation.

"Feel him, do you?" he said in his throaty, funny voice.

Obi-Wan nodded, puzzled. "Well, of course I feel him, Master."

"Feel him in the Force, do you?"

Obi-Wan nodded again, still not catching on again. "They are very strong."

"Hmm. Perhaps one of these is the Chosen One." Yoda gestured to Leia and Luke.

Padmé had her eyebrows raised. "They're Force-sensitive?" she asked.

Yoda confirmed it. "Very much so."

Bail looked confused. "How strong exactly are they?" he asked cautiously.

"Very, very strong they will be. If together, find them easily, someone will," Yoda commented meaningfully.

Padmé got what Yoda was driving at. Something dark crept into her heart; it was fear. "And if they're not together?" she asked with dread.

Yoda pursed his lips. "Not as easily found, they will be."

Padmé couldn't speak. None of them - Bail, Yoda, and Obi-Wan - were looking at her.

Very calmly, in a voice that surprised even herself, she said, "You want to split them up? Take them away from me?"

Bail looked at her pleadingly; "Padmé, it's for their own good…I could take one of them…" he trailed off when she looked at him with a look of pure venom, like that of a mother Bantha over her kid.

Padmé strikingly resembled an enraged Wookiee when she was angry; her hair would grow wild, and her eyes would spit fire. Her voice still had that deadly calm, "No. You three listen to me. Where I go, my children go. Where my children go, I go. And wherever we go, a Jedi goes until Sidious is destroyed. Clear?"

The three had lowered their eyes to the floor, cowed by her vehement need to protect her children. "Understood," they mumbled.

Yoda, however, still had to add something. "If not separated, hidden, their Force signature must be."

"We can hide both together, Master Yoda." responded Obi-Wan. Then he remembered the younglings and other Jedi that had managed to escape the Clones and Vader after Order #66 had been issued. "Have the others been hiding their Force signatures?"

The green Jedi nodded. "Teaching the younglings, the Masters, Knights, and older Padawans' are, at the Jedi sanctuary on Yavin Four."

Padmé voiced her worry. "What if Palpatine finds them there? The Clones are almost everywhere in the galaxy."

"The Emperor is not going to look for them there." answered Bail, "And plus, it's only temporary – once the younglings learn how to mask their Force presences, in a few days, we'll scatter them to distant planets on the Outer Rim."

Padmé worried her lower lip with her upper teeth. She shifted Leia and said, "But we can't take Luke and Leia there."

Yoda nodded sagely. "Go to Alderaan, Naboo, or Tattooine, you must. Come with you, Obi-Wan and I will."

Bail argued, "Master Yoda, it is not wise for them to go to Naboo or Alderaan. Alderaan currently has many Clones searching for so-called renegade Jedi, and Naboo is the Emperor's home planet. And if Anakin believes Padmé to be alive, he will search for her there."

Obi-Wan added, "And Anakin…or rather, Vader, will never look for them on Tatooine. He will never step foot on that planet, no matter the cost."

Padmé looked at them all. "So it's set? We're going to Tattooine?"

The others nodded, and Yoda, Obi-Wan, and Padmé began to ready themselves to leave on Padmé's cruiser.


	3. On the Death Star

Disclaimer: I do not own Star Wars.

A/N: Yes, I know, it's been like a long time. I just had the urge to write tonight..so here it is!

**Chapter Three:**

_18 or so years later_:

Padmé, Obi-Wan, and Yoda have managed to raise and educate Luke and Leia to adulthood. Leia went to Alderaan when she was 15 and was presented to the world as the secret daughter of Senator Bail Organa – and now she is involved in politics and posing as a Princess. Her ship was intercepted by Vader trying to find the Rebels and "renegade" Jedi, as she was running a mission trying to get the Death Star plans to the Rebel Alliance. She sends Artoo off-ship – to Tatooine – with the plans for the Death Star.

Meanwhile, on Tatooine, Padmé, Luke, Obi-Wan, and Yoda are trying to find a way off the planet, as they have felt that Leia was in distress, and Artoo confirms it. They run into a bad-tempered man named Han Solo and his Wookie co-pilot, Chewbacca, in their search for a discrete pilot…

XXXXXXXXXX

**On the**_** Executor**_** – Lord Vader's ship**

Darth Vader strode the hallways with his long black cloak trailing in the air behind him, heading towards the communications center. Fixing some electrical wiring, a storm trooper paused and watched Vader disappear around a corner. The trooper - G154955687 – briefly admired the effect Lord Vader's cloak had – always billowing, as if without effort – before getting back to work.

Vader stopped in front of the sealed door, which opened with a gentle hiss to admit him. He strode purposefully in and then stepped in front of the comm link. In front of him, the Emperor appeared in 3-D. He was hooded (as was Vader) but while Vader looked moderately human (except for his eyes), Palpatine just looked pasty, melted, and overall, plain nasty. Perhaps the hood was more for his vanity than anything else, a voice in his head sniggered. _Shut up_, Vader growled silently in his mind at the voice. Perhaps he was bipolar…

The line finished establishing, and the image of the Emperor was now stable.

"Vader...what is the status of your assignment?"

"The Death Star is in the final stages of preparation, my Lord. It is only a matter of weeks before it becomes fully operational."

"Good, good…And what of the Princess? Have you managed to persuade her to give up the headquarters of the Rebel Base?"

A flash of foreboding went through Vader, as it always did when the Princess was mentioned. He did not know why – it wasn't as if he personally knew the Princess. But she looked so like Padmé – no, he must not think of her. So he cleared his throat and babbled instead. "She has not divulged anything of importance yet, my Lord, but it is only a matter of time before the interrogation droids overcome her will. She certainly has plenty of that – I have had two sessions with her and she has not yet let anything slip. Perhaps we might use the Death Star, when it is finished, to show her what will happen to her precious Alderaan if she does not give the Rebels up."

The Emperor cackled – "_What does he think he is, a witch?_" thought Vader, disgusted. But he must not think like that. Then Palpatine spoke. "That is an excellent idea, my Apprentice. I am impressed at your absolute cunning. Do keep me updated on the progression of the Death Star…it is our greatest accomplishment."

Those words were said with almost a tone of fondness…was Palpatine even capable of it? Vader gave an imperceptible shudder, but he kept his outward façade of calmness up. And suddenly he was disgusted at himself. What would Padmé say of this latest idea of his –

"I will, my Lord."

The Emperor gave him a single nod, and then his image faded out of existence.

Vader strode toward the ship's command center. As he entered, Piett stood up before him nervously, ready for orders.

"Set course for Alderaan, Admiral," he managed to grind out.

Piett blinked. "Alderaan?"

"Yes, Alderaan. Our Princess needs some…incentive."

Vader left the command center, his thoughts a whirlwhind.

XXXXXXXXXX

**In a misreputable bar on Tatooine:**

"No, no, and no! Two passengers! That's all I'm taking!"

Han Solo was not having a good day. These people were so _odd_ – a little green _creature_, a doddering old man, a woman, two freaky (and annoying) droids, and a _kid_ were not his idea of ideal passengers or cargo. He just knew they were going to get him in trouble.

"Why? I'm sure we could all fit perfectly find onto your ship! She looks plenty big to me," the woman – Padmé – demanded.

Han let out a long suffering sigh as he absently stirred a glass of some exotic goop. "Alright, alright, we'll compromise – the droids can come as cargo, but that means two of you will have to scram."

"None of us are staying behind," stated the kid – firmly. Han wanted to bang his head.

"No," he replied flatly. "I've stated what I want and who I'm taking. So if you don't like it, then you might as well go find another pilot willing to go."

None of the people at the table spoke. Han sighed, tossed a coin onto the table, and got up to leave. He had to find someone more willing to do business – he had debts to cover, and soon, or that slimy Jabba the Hutt would have his head.

"Wait," said the old man suddenly. "We can pay you extra, enough to cover your debts, if you take all of us."

Han paused. How did he know about his debts? "How did you-" he started to exclaim belligerently.

"Shh!" the green thing said sternly.

"How did you know about those?" he demanded the man, in a quieter tone.

The old man smiled thinly. "Don't worry about it," he responded pleasantly. "The point is, we can help each other mutually. Please sit down."

Han gave him an untrusting look, but he sat down slowly. "How much are you willing to pay?"

"We'll cover all your debts, with 10,000 credits as a bonus."

Han's mind almost exploded. Holy! Whatever trouble these people were, they were going to be worth it. "You've got a deal!" he exclaimed happily. "But if any of you suffer any broken bones or health related problems on my ship – I'm not responsible. There aren't enough seats for all of you," he warned.

"We'll take our chances," remarked the woman dryly, "just as long as you keep this expedition a complete secret."

Han almost thought of thinking twice about the deal he'd just agreed to – why would anyone need such privacy for a trip? – But he let the lure of money drive away those thoughts. The old man and the woman accompanied him to discuss money with the Hutt, and soon they were all on the ship ready to take off. And he was debt free! Finally!

XXXXXXXXXX

**On the **_**Executor**_** – Leia's cell**

Leia had had better days.

She was cold and in pain. The seats in the cell were hard, which did nothing for her battered body. She shifted and shifted, but could not find a comfortable spot. The needle marks in her arms testified to the pain she had gone through – but she had not broken! Not to the drugs, and not to her father…

Her father…Darth Vader.

When she and Luke had turned 12, their mother had sat them down and finally told them about their father, Anakin Skywalker-turned-Sith Lord-Darth Vader. Luke had thrown up and tried to deny it, and she had just felt hollow.

Her father was evil. He had tortured her. He had not shown any empathy at all, or sympathy. But as he had come into the cell, when the drugs were making her mind swim, she thought she had seen him freeze, if just for a second, as he stared at her. Maybe he was remembering his wife, her mother. They looked very similar…glossy long brown hair, brown eyes, and similar facial features.

In her drugged stupor, she had nearly let her shielding go, but somehow nothing made them go down. The Force was powerful in that way. If her shielding had fallen, Vader would have felt the power she had, and he would _know_. She shuddered. That would not bode well...

Luke had tried to insist that Vader could become Anakin Skywalker again – maybe if he knew Padmé was alive and well. They had discussed it many times – never in earshot of their mother, of course – but both of them secretly yearned for a father who was not evil. He could be redeemed, Luke had argued. She would have to rid him of that ridiculous notion once she saw him again. She knew what he could do – what he had done to her! Anakin Skywalker was completely gone, murdered by the darkness of Darth Vader.

Would she see her brother again? Would she see any of them again? Suppose Vader decided she didn't know anything and killed her…

When her ship had been captured, she had lied calmly when questioned. "_I am a member of the Imperial Senate on a diplomatic mission to Alderaan._"

But they had not believed her. "_You are part of the Rebel Alliance and a traitor!_"

And Vader had mercilessly killed many of the men on her ship, _Tantive IV_. Unbidden, a few tears slipped out of her eyes. They were good men, and loyal to her. And now many of them were gone…because of her.

She sat up against the bulkhead and shivered. It was so cold! And her princess outfit of loose white fabric did not help at all. Perfect for Tatooine or Alderaan…not so much for a ship with freezing air.

She wondered idly if Artoo had managed to find her family and the others. She wondered if they would take the plans to Yavin IV – where the Rebel Base was, instead of trying to find her. Hopefully both?

She crossed her legs and closed her eyes, finding her center. She breathed out, letting herself become encompassed by the Force. It flowed through her, around her, and she felt no pain at all as she let herself float. She calmed down. No anger, no grief, no fear…as Yoda had taught her. In order to use the Light Side she needed to be in almost a transcendent state.

_Luke_…she called out, experimentally. _Luke, I need you_.

XXXXXXXXXX

**The**_** Millenium Falcon: **_**Somewhere near the Alderaan system**

Luke was sleeping, slumped over a table, when he felt someone calling him. He jerked awake, knocking over a flask of water. He blinked sleepily and looked up.

Obi-Wan and Yoda looked back at him, sitting across from him.

"What?" Luke said blankly.

"What?" returned Obi-Wan, confused.

"Why'd you call me?" Now Luke was confused.

Obi-Wan exchanged a look with Yoda. "Called you, neither of us did," said Yoda.

"But I heard someone calling me!" protested Luke.

They didn't have any more time to argue, as Threepio wandered in (lost, as usual), but he was happy to see them. "Oh, finally! Master Luke, you must come to the helm at one. We are fast approaching Aldreaan!"

The three Jedi got up and scrambled up the ladders.

XXXXXXXXXX

Han Solo looked at the green planet in front of him, fast approaching. Actually they were the ones approaching it, but whatever.

"Well here we are, people," he said unnecessarily, to the four people standing behind him and Chewie.

"I feel her…" said Luke, softly, wonderingly.

"And you're gonna be feeling something else soon, too," said Han grimly. "Probably lots of pain! That's a ******* Star Destroyer! And what is that huge thing behind it?"

Padmé paled. Chewie whined. Obi-Wan groaned, as he and Yoda reached out with the Force as softly as they could, and encountered Darth Vader's Force presence.

XXXXXXXXXX

"You're stepping on my foot!" groused Threepio to Han.

"Shut it, tinseltoes!" snapped Han. He shifted, reached out to steady himself, and put his hand on something soft…

SLAP. "Ow!" Han all but shrieked. "What was that for!"

"That was for putting your hands where they don't belong!" hissed Padmé.

"You put your hands on my _mother's_ lady parts!" exclaimed Luke in outrage. "I should kill you!"

"I believe even the Jedi will not stop him from doing that," said Obi-Wan, amused.

Artoo gave a shrill whistle that translated into, "Someone's coming!"

Then they were all silent, in the dark, cramped quarters that smelled like spice and other questionable things better left unknown. Suddenly footsteps sounded on the panels over their heads, and all thoughts of touching people in private areas fled their minds. They all held their breaths – well, the humans and Yoda did, R2-D2 and C-3PO had no need for air.

"All clear, sir."

"Very good, Troopers. They must have abandoned ship when they saw us and before we caught them in the tractor beam. Clear out."

The footsteps left and eventually faded. The renegade, mismatched group cautiously raised the panels off their heads and climbed thankfully out into the air, gasping in gladness.

They gathered in a group. "Alright. We need a plan," said Padmé authoritatively. "We cannot leave this planet – ship – whatever it is – until the Tractor Beams are disabled – because as soon as we leave, they will have us back here before you can say 'Star Destroyer.'"

Han snorted. "You make it sound so easy. I'm pretty sure that one of those dimwit troopers is going to notice us sneaking around the ship looking for the power grids. And we don't even know where they are."

Padmé glared at him. "Do not mock me. Artoo can access the blueprints from any port. After that we'll only need a disguise, which should not be that hard to obtain. One group will disable the tractor beams, the others will just have to hide out near here, in order to make a fast getaway. We cannot have all of us getting caught at once."

Luke looked at Threepio. "Mother, perhaps Threepio, you, Chewbacca, Yoda, and Han should stay here. Obi-Wan, Artoo and I can do it on our own. There's no reason for all of us to be in danger."

Luke's real reason for wanting Han and Chewbacca to stay was to keep them from learning that they were really there to get Leia. Han would surely not understand; he just wanted to get the hell away, and finding Leia was not going to be easy, or fast, especially on this massive ship.

"I'm fine with that," Han said hastily.

Chewie growled his agreement.

Padmé pushed Han toward the doors. "No, you're going with them," she said firmly. "They might need help."

Unwillingly, Han grumpily went and stood by Luke.

"Now, R-2, you must come back in one piece, you hear me?" said Threepio, anxiously. "And don't get lost either!"

Artoo whirred something back cheekily, and then the group left, sneakily. Luke looked back at his mother, and she smiled. _I know you can do this_, she mouthed.

XXXXXXXXXX

In the office they had somehow managed to commandeer, Artoo concentrated on finding the tractor beams main control panel. He whirred while he worked, almost happily. But Luke was on tenterhooks.

"Did you find them?" Obi-Wan inquired Artoo.

Artoo whirred an affirmative. He projected a 3-D image of the Death Star, and the tractor beam main controls were outlined in red. Obi-Wan looked at them critically, committing them to memory.

"I shall do this alone," he said gravely. "One person had much less chance of being caught." Then he gave Luke a significant look, and left before Han could argue.

Luke took that as his cue to somehow persuade Han that they should go get Leia.

"Artoo, can you find out where Princess Leia is being held?" he asked quietly.

"What?" demanded Han loudly, as he hadn't heard clearly, but both the droid and Luke ignored him.

Artoo beeped an affirmative and set out to find her in the computer system. He beeped at Luke and he gasped.

"A holding cell, for execution? When is she set to be executed?"

Artoo beeped again.

Luke sighed. That was in three days. But Han didn't know that. "That settles it, we have to get her now!"

Han spoke again. "Who's this Princess Leia?"

"She's a diplomat of Alderaan, and this is her droid," replied Luke, looking for a blaster in the closet. He finally found some and pulled out two. He had his light saber, but that would just raise questions for Han. So he tossed one to Han and took one for himself.

Han deftly caught the blaster. "I'm not going on some rescue mission for some Princess I don't know," he said flatly. "You might have a death wish, but I don't."

Luke looked at him slyly. "She's rich, Han."

The lure of money, Han's soft spot, ensnared his attention again. He was interested now.

"If you help us get her out, she might reward you, Han. Just imagine…a Princess! She's got lots of money."

But Han wasn't fully ensnared yet. "Then why is the Empire going to execute her? Has she committed treason or something bad?" he asked shrewdly.

Luke paused. "I don't know, but I don't think she wants to die. I'm gonna go rescue her."

He pressed the button to make to doors slide up, and Han stood up hastily. "I'm coming with you," he declared, "you'll probably need me."

Luke grinned to himself. They both pulled on the black and white armor of the storm troopers, and then set out to find Leia.

XXXXXXXXXX

Darth Vader felt something he hadn't felt in years.

It was a Light presence. He was so entrenched in darkness at this point that the mere touch of the Light side of the Force nearly made him sick.

He knew that touch. It was not trying to hide itself from him.

It was Obi-Wan. How did he get on the Death Star? And why was he here?

His eyes flashed. He grabbed his light saber and set out to find his ex-master.

XXXXXXXXXX

Leia glared at the door of her cell. What she wouldn't do to get her light saber and slice through the steel like a hot knife through butter. But she had stored it inside of Artoo, for safekeeping, while on her ship. And it was a good thing that she had, she admitted to herself. Otherwise the troopers would have found it, and then Vader would have been informed, and he would probably kill her for being a Jedi.

Briefly she wondered where her family and the others were, and if they had managed to get the plans for the Death Star. This thing was monstrous – they needed to get rid of it as soon as possible. The mere thought of the power to blow up an entire planet with one shot made her shiver all over again, goose bumps rising on her arms. Earlier today, Vader and Tarkin had shaken her badly by saying they were headed to Alderaan – and that they would "practice" on it if she did not tell them where the Rebels were operating from. She had almost caved. But she hadn't; while she loved Alderaan, she could not let all the Jedi and the Alliance down. They were counting on her…

She was suddenly startled out of her thoughts as the door to her cell slid open, and two Storm troopers stumbled in, remarkably clumsily. She almost laughed. But this was no time for frivolous emotions. She drew upon her most serious diplomatic face and looked at them disdainfully. "Do the Governor and his _lordship_ require my presence?" she said coldly.

One of the troopers laughed, or tried to. It came out as a cough through the mask. Then he took it off, and her brother's messy head of dirty blonde curls came into view. The other trooper did the same, and a positively devilish looking, annoyed man appeared.

"Don't mock us, Leia, we're here to rescue you!" said Luke happily.

"Luke!" she exclaimed, and she sprang up, mindless of her injuries and pain, and hugged him for all she was worth.

Han was flabbergasted. "You two know each other?"

"Ah, yes, I might've forgotten to mention, she's my twin sister…" trailed off Luke sheepishly.

Han shook his head, but he had to smile. "Well, now that we've gotten her Highness, let's get out of here, shall we, your Highness?" He directed the last part at Luke, who had the decency to blush.

"She's the Princess, but I'm not royalty," Luke objected placidly. "So you don't need to address me with…"

"Respect? Shut it, Luke," snapped Han. "Let's go, I have a bad feeling about this. And a headache."

The three of them left the cell, but Storm troopers started to converge on them in both directions. Han turned the setting on his blaster to _Kill_, but Luke and Leia just smiled and lifted their hands in unison.

XXXXXXXXXX

Obi-Wan quietly skulked around the Death Star, amusing himself by mind-tricking many a storm trooper on his way to the tractor beam control panel.

It was a full half hour before he found the control panels. When he finally reached them, he had to be extra careful. There were many troopers in the vicinity, and he had to bide his time. It was a full twenty minutes before the premises were sufficiently vacated for him to make his move.

He edged out onto the precariously thin ledges, noting that if he fell, there was a long drop and a sudden stop beneath him. But he wouldn't, he told himself, he was a Jedi and he could use the Force so as to stop himself from falling.

He pulled the large handles one by one, and when the soft whir of the machinery turned silent, he knew he had done it correctly. Now it was high time he got back to the _Falcon_. Hopefully by now Luke had found Leia…and hopefully they hadn't left without him!

He uttered a sigh of relief as he stepped back onto solid floor. Then stealthily he started making his way back. It was not going to be easy. Those pesky storm troopers were everywhere.

Ten or so minutes later, he had managed to get within two levels of the docking bay, where the _Millennium Falcon_ was. He was making remarkable time. As he rounded a corner, his wayward ex-Padawan stepped out of the shadows, barring his way. He was glaring at Ob-Wan from underneath his hood. He lit his red light saber in a symbolic gesture.

Obi-Wan groaned. He just couldn't get a break.

Soberly, he lit his own light saber. Then, silently, the two started to circle each other.


End file.
